From 17-storey temple to Naga Fireballs, from underwear laws to Hello Kitty armband for guilty cops, Thailand is a land of oddities and bizarre things. Our last article on Thailand fun facts covered a few of those bizarre aspects but we weren’t quite done. So, here we are, with another list of bizarre Thailand facts that will simply blow your mind away. Gear up for some brain fun…

Bizarre Thailand Facts: 1-5

1. Thailand may be a very unique country but when it comes to religion and culture, it is a fusion of India and China. India gave Thailand the religious aspect (remember that Buddhism originated in India and Thailand has many aspects of Hinduism still embedded deep in its religious and cultural heritage) while Thai people borrowed their cultural aspect from China.

2. Did you know that Thailand is know as Prostitution Capital of our world? There are a staggering number of red light areas in Thailand and the massage centers are notorious for happy endings.

3. What’s even more bizarre is that prostitution is completely illegal in Thailand but the law is barely practiced. As a matter of fact, around 30,000 to 1 million Thai women are in this business and thrive primarily on tourists.

4. Talking of prostitution, no wonder the number of HIV+ patients in the nation is gradually increasing.

5. Sitting in the temple of Wat Traimit in Bangkok, the Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon is the golden statue of Gautam Buddha. The statue weighs 5,500 kilograms and contains 86% pure gold and is worth more than USD 250 million. Parts of the statue were cast in India. The statute has 9 parts that fit in smoothly.

Bizarre Thailand Facts: 6-10

6. Packing for Thailand? Here is something you should keep in mind – ‘Keep eyes open and get away from the giant centipedes’. A bite from these monsters can show you hell. The pain is excruciating and can last for 4 to 5 days. These centipedes can grow as big as a forearm.

7. Another caution! If you hear the words ‘Buung Han’, you should surely run to safety. The small caterpillar that looks drop dead gorgeous is something you should steer clear of. It is feels threatened, it will shoot a cloud of poisonous hair and if they land on your skin, you will be more than welcome to join the world of the ‘crazy’. Yes, you can get mad. So… stay away!

8. Mother’s Day is something you find in every country. In Thailand however, the day has been twisted where it has absolutely nothing to do with your own mother. That day, you pay respect to the Queen of Thailand.

9. Before 1939, Thailand was known as Siam. The name Thailand was adopted in 1939. In 1945 however, the name was changed back to Siam. In 1949, the country changed her name again and became Thailand once again. It has not changed ever since.

10. The world’s smelliest fruit – the King of Tropical Fruits – the Durian is Thailand’s native. Guess what? It is so stinky that you cannot carry it to hotels. Airlines, trains etc. have also banned the fruit.

Bizarre Thailand Facts: 11-15

11. Thai culture considers Rice as Holy. Yes, it is the staple crop of the country by when it comes to religion, rice has a very high position. Leaving rice on plate is an unholy act in Thailand and stepping on Rice is pure SIN.

12. Watch out for Chang Beer – a locally manufactured beer. In case your alcohol tolerance is not high, you shouldn’t indulge in drinking much of this drink. With alcohol content ranging between 6 and 7%, it is the strongest beer of Thailand and its production is completely unregulated.

13. Thailand is where the world’s most expensive Cat Wedding took place. The groom called Phet was brought to the wedding place in a Rolls Royce. He wore a pink tuxedo. The bride’s name was Ploy who arrived in a helicopter and wore a pink satin dress.

14. Owner of Phet (groom) had to pay USD 23,202 as dowry to owner of Ploy (bride). Apart from that dowry amount, the total cost of the wedding was USD 16,241. Number of guests invited were 500 and the total gifts received by the cat couple was worth USD 60,000.

15. Love insects? Thailand is another heaven where you can satiate yourself with some delicious edible insect. So high is the demand that Thailand needs to import 800 tons of insects per year from Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and China.

Bizarre Thailand Facts: 16-20

16. Crickets are on so high demand in Thailand that there are 20,000 farms all over the nation and they are all registered. Farming of edible insects in the country generates USD 30 million for the country.

17. Some of the common insects that you will find on streets include grasshoppers, giant water bugs, bamboo caterpillars and crickets.

18. Mudskipper in Thailand is the nation’s weirdest creature. It is basically a fish that can walk on mud and can also climb up on trees. The fish uses its fins to ‘walk’ and when out of water, it uses a special mouth lining and its skin for absorbing oxygen. Mudskipper actually spends most of its time outside water.

19. On the eastern border of Thailand is the Mekong River which is home to over 1,300 different fish species. It is also the home to world’s largest freshwater fish and catfish found there are over 660 lbs in weight and measure up to 10 feet in length.

20. In the wilderness of Thailand, you will be greeted with 1,500 orchid species. This makes Thailand the largest orchid exporter in world.